[Part 3] Create Attractive Expressions!

While big, bright eyes and a lovable facial expression are the basics of an impressive shot, it would also be good to challenge photos that exude the charm of a matured lady. To do so, try shots with your eyes looking down. (Reported by: Oliya T. Yabuta)

A "downcast look" helps you to exude the charm of a matured lady. An important point here is to make sure that catchlight is included in your eyes.

Look away from the camera!

In a selfie shot, the most important facial part is none other than the "eyes." Adding expression to the eyes enhances the charm of the resulting photo. While a shot with big, bright eyes and a broad smile makes you appear lovely, it would be good too to exude the charm of a matured lady every now and then. To help you do so in a selfie, try a "downcast look" with your eyes looking down, which gives the impression as if you were lost in a thought. When photographing this "downcast look," a key point is to look away from the camera.

Look away from the camera and use the self-timer

Do not look into the camera when posing with a downcast eyes

Look diagonally downward

Include catchlight in the eyes

Use a mini tripod and self-timer

When taking shots with a "downcast look," make sure that you look away from the camera. Looking into the camera with downcast eyes results in a sleepy expression. Apply the basic rule in selfie taking to position the camera at an angle of "20° + 45°", but look away from the camera into the diagonally downward direction. While doing so, also remember to include "catchlight" in your eyes, a technique that I have introduced in [Part 2] . In a downcast look, the eyes are narrowed, so the expression would look dull if no catchlight is included. Also, if positioning the camera at an angle of 20° higher makes the eyes appear even narrower, try lifting your chin a little.It would be rather difficult to capture selfies with a downcast look while holding the camera in your hand. Instead, secure the camera on a mini tripod as shown below, and make use of the self-timer. By using a mini tripod that fits into your handbag together with the self-timer function of the camera, you will be able to widen your repertoire of selfie shots.

You can take a selfie easily by attaching the camera to a commercially available mini tripod and holding it with your hand. If the legs of the mini tripod can be bent freely, you can also take shots with the legs bound to different objects around you.

HINT: How to use the self-timer

Tap on [FUNC.] on the LCD monitor, followed by the [10 sec. Self-Timer] option. Pressing the shutter button in this state releases the shutter after 10 seconds. Take a pose during this interval.

After his career with a TV production firm and a computer peripheral manufacturer in product planning and advertisement production, Yabuta became a writer and portrait photographer. He excels in writing commentaries that are beginner-friendly. Web: http://www.yabuta.biz/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oliya.yabuta